The North Face Retro Denali is our warmest for standing still pick, and we rate it 58 out of 100.
A 723g heavyweight with nylon chest and shoulder overlays that block wind across the core, which is what the grid fleeces cannot do at any price.
Scored on Breathability, Warmth, Layering and Fit, Weight and Value for Money, weighted for hiking, which is why the warmest jacket in the round finishes last.
Warmest for Standing Still
The North Face Retro Denali
- Weight: 723g
- Fabric: 100% recycled polyester with nylon chest and shoulder overlays
- Weight class: Heavyweight
- Pockets: 4
- Venting: Pit zips
Pros
- Warmest jacket on test by a clear margin
- Nylon overlays actually block wind
- Works as a standalone outer in cold
- Four usable pockets
Cons
- 723g, triple the lightest fleeces here
- Worst breathability in the guide
- High hem lets cold in when you reach
The Verdict on the North Face Retro Denali
The warmest jacket on test and the only one that works alone in real cold, at more than double the weight of anything else here.
That performance put it at 58 out of 100 and earned it our warmest for standing still spot.
Warmest jacket on test by a clear margin, and that is the whole case for it.
You pay for that somewhere. 723g, triple the lightest fleeces here.
It suits static cold, camp and casual wear rather than anything active best.
Stood around a frozen car park in this for an hour and never thought about the cold once. Then I tried walking uphill in it and had it off inside ten minutes.
Shaun, Top-Notch test team
Performance, Metric by Metric
It leads on warmth and gives ground on weight.
Metric by metric, against the same nine panels.
Breathability
5.6 out of 10, the worst in this ranking.
Pit zips exist because the fabric cannot dump heat on its own, so you vent it manually.
Anything active in this jacket ends with you carrying it.
| Breathability | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8.5/10 |
| The North Face Retro Denali | 5.6/10 |
| Guide average | 7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.6/10 |
Warmth
9 out of 10, the warmest jacket of the 18 tested by a clear margin.
The nylon chest and shoulder overlays block wind across the core, which is the design logic of the whole heritage silhouette.
It is the only fleece here that works as a standalone outer layer in real cold.
| Warmth | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9/10 |
| The North Face Retro Denali | 9/10 |
| Guide average | 7.1/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 6/10 |
Layering and Fit
6 out of 10, and getting a shell over it needs a generous cut or it bunches.
The hem sits high, which lets cold in when you reach up.
Four pockets, all usable, which is more than most technical fleeces manage.
| Layering and Fit | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 8/10 |
| The North Face Retro Denali | 6/10 |
| Guide average | 6.7/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Weight
723g, more than double the Black Diamond CoEfficient and roughly three times the lightest fleeces we tested.
Weight score of 3 out of 10, the lowest number anywhere in this guide.
It is not going in a pack, so plan to wear it from the car.
| Weight | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.1/10 |
| The North Face Retro Denali | 3/10 |
| Guide average | 7.2/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 3/10 |
Value for Money
Premium money for a jacket you cannot hike in is a hard sell on paper.
If your cold is static, camp, tailgate, dog walk in a wind, it does a job nothing else here does.
For hiking specifically, the Mountain Hardwear plus a windshirt is the better two-piece answer.
| Value for Money | Rating |
|---|---|
| Highest in this guide | 9.5/10 |
| The North Face Retro Denali | 5.5/10 |
| Guide average | 7.5/10 |
| Lowest in this guide | 5.5/10 |
Also from this test: the Cotopaxi Abrazo Half-Zip, our best three season crossover pick, if the fit of this one is wrong.
Specifications
| Weight | 723g |
| Fabric | 100% recycled polyester with nylon chest and shoulder overlays |
| Weight class | Heavyweight |
| Pockets | 4 |
| Venting | Pit zips |
Close Rivals We Also Rated
If this is not the fit, these earned awards of their own.
Arc'teryx Kyanite Hoody, our best for cold camp. The warmest stretch fleece here and the most comfortable thing on test, held back by pack-strap pilling that should not happen at this money.
Columbia Steens Mountain 2.0 Full Zip, our longest lasting. Owners report 10 to 15 years out of this jacket, which no scoring model built around performance can see.
Arc'teryx Covert Cardigan, our best for travel and town. The one fleece here that will still look presentable in three years, and the one you should leave at home on the hill.
The Bottom Line
After the full round of testing, the North Face Retro Denali holds our warmest for standing still spot on 58 out of 100.
Warmest jacket on test by a clear margin. That is what you are buying.
723g, triple the lightest fleeces here. Decide if that matters for how you camp.
Buy it if that describes you: static cold, camp and casual wear rather than anything active.
Want the head to head? The full field sits in our 10 Best Fleece Jackets for Hiking, Tested and Ranked guide.
